Episode 41 – A Rhodesian Airlines Viscount downed at Kariba and an old Zambian man stares down the SADF

[Music] Welcome back to South African Border Wars with me, your host, Des Leithen. This is episode 41 and rededing with events in 1979. One of these, as you about to hear, involves the Redigion Airlines Vickers Vincuent that was shot down and the SA Air Force was involved in the response. And that was the target at Zipra Base in Eastern Angola. While the new year of 1979 began relatively peacefully, that changed in February when 250 Swap Air Soldiers crossed the Cutline into South West Africa. The summer rains had been good, and then on the 13th of February a blinding rain storm saw insurgents attacking in Congo Base, which was 15 kilometers from the border. However that assault was a glancing blow and Swap Air melted away almost immediately. The rain cut visibility and washed away their tracks, so follow up operations were hampered, but Swap Air would be back as you're going to hear. PW Butter was the new hawkish prime minister in South Africa who took over from BJ Foster. He was presumed too soft by the militarizing national party. Pretoria was bristling for a fight, and Swap Air's cross-border attacks led to a few diplomatic messages being exchanged while in the background, Butter's government was preparing for another invasion of southern Angola. First, though, the South African-centred tourist note of protest to UN Secretary General Kurt Walton warning that the whole air-diffus of agreement which we'd built so carefully over the past period is in danger of collapse in the light of Swap Air's dastardly attack. Meanwhile, Pretoria was making plans for its own dastardly attack. Pretoria had been publicly urging the arrival of the UN transitional agreement group of untucked, which they said they wanted in place by the end of the month to help set up elections. These of course were doomed anyway because Swap Air had decided that it wanted to seize power along the lines of an MPLA style revolution rather than through the ballot box. Swap Air july boycotted the elections. The South Africans meanwhile were pretty much of the same opinion privately, although publicly they continued to push for resolution 435. Pretoria's strategy now was to buy time because they realised that a quick solution would bring the ANC closer to their borders from a newly independent Namibia. The longer Swap Air could be kept at bay in Namibia, the better they could cope with their own internal war against the ANC and the PAC. Their party government was already facing the fact that Mozambique to their east and Redisia in the north were exposing the white minority government to military encirclement by enemies. Edward Bolton refused to confirm the deadline for the arrival of this peacekeeping force untuck and in backroom discussions the South Africans were reminded that peace was actually being discussed before they launched Operation Rhaindia the preceding year that pulverized Kasinger. That had put paid to any further discussions with Swap Air. But it wasn't all one side. Swap Air's leader Sam Niyoma had also told UN Special Representative Marthi Atasari that he wouldn't abide by the rules that his men were supposed to be restricted to their bases. Instead he demanded the S.A.T. have reduced their numbers in South Africa and Namibia before he would consider further discussions which of course would leave his forces running around of Ombaland and beyond shooting or killing anyone we didn't conform to their radical agenda. Both sides were dead set on sabotaging the talks because strategically both sides could gain more from time wasting than speeding up. With some debate these days about who was really to blame but I'm afraid any student of basic political and military strategy wouldn't need much time to come up with the same conclusion. The blame rests squarely on both sides. I've spoken to apologists for both Swap Air and the National Party and they use exactly the same logic against each other. We couldn't trust them they say. It was them killing us so I could retort. And of course geopolitics spoils the scenario planning if you're dealing with internal politics as a driver of military strategy as both Trump and Biden have recently found out. In Pretoria's case and just to make sure there was no confusion, PW Boot of Vowred not a single soldier would be withdrawn and S.A.T.S. fire was declared first and of course that meant the end of talks. So Swap who's armed wing plan launched a series of attacks on Ombaland civilians through February and on the 26th of February they targeted another security force base at Ulundu. This was the home of three two battalion which had been sweeping southern Angola and by now Swap it was highly aware of this unit of former FNLA and other soldiers from Angola. The attack was a failure all projectiles fired at the base mist and the FUMPLAR group moved off its speed knowing how effective three two battalion was at tracking and follow operations. And yet Swap was initial public relations exercise was effective plan had the goal to attack the crack soldiers of three two battalion. Unfortunately Swapo then followed up that useful PR moment with a clearly exaggerated statement about killing 300 South African soldiers destroying two bases and shooting down two aircraft. Neutrals smiled sarcastically at that claim. If 300 South Africans had died the media back home would have gone to town as they did with the Fatimumululu disaster. There would be no way of hiding 300 bodies from the South African public. I'm afraid. grandiose posturing was the order of the day and as you're going to hear the SEDF was as prone to grandiose posturing as anyone else. By now the new commander of three two battalion was commandant Dion Farreira Carl Sain Falcon. Previously the commanding officer had concentrated on the day to day running of the unit leaving major Eddie Fulune to focus on military operations. But Farreira was a real soldier soldier and took personal control of operations right from the start. Given the strategic value of three two he decided that all future deployment should be confined to Angola and that other units should be used in the South West Africa. As we know now three two battalion actually ended up inside South Africa itself after 1989 and in the townships to make matters worse. Now watch three two as a journalist inside Polar Park near Johannesburg in 1992 working for local radio stations 702. Polar Park is part of the, to cause the township area south east of Johannesburg and three two are clearly out of place using top of the line special forces to police civilians never ends well and I'm afraid in that case it didn't. We'll get back to those events later. It's time to step back for a second and consider what else was happening in the region at the end of the 70s. The situation in Rhodesia was approaching resolution in 1979 as Ian Smith accepted the idea of majority rule for the first time and he also accepted the concept of a transitional administration being set up. The ferocity of the conflict there the pure bladed viciousness had shaken those covering the war as journalists. Nuns were raped and bayoneted to death along with children civilians were caught in the middle of the struggle. The propaganda machine back in San Africa was pumping out messages of the slaughter in order to galvanize their white electorate. The Rui Jafar, Red Danger or Red Terror narrative was being televised and media published the photographs which were grizzly gruesome and designed to frighten the white minority along with something called the Swarth Jafar, the danger of black majority rule. The ferocity increased in February 1979 when redigion airlines lost a second bike hunt airline a shutdown by the Zimbabwe people's revolutionary army or Zipra using a Soviet Sam 7 missile killing all four crew and 54 passengers shortly after take off from Karibah. The South Africans like the redigions sought revenge because the commander of the air redigia flight 827 bike out was former SAF was pilot Jan Andred Dublecy. As to add to the terrible instance of horrible coincidences that take place in war, the wrong plane had been shot down. Later commander Joshua and Koma confirmed Zipra were targeting redigion commander of combined operations lieutenant General Peter Walls who was due to take off the same morning in the same type of plane from the same airport but his bike on flue on 15 minutes after the wrong one had already been hit. War is full of mistaken identity and this was case in point. And our retaliation strike on a Zipra camp near Lusso in eastern Angola was planned. Four redigion Air Force Canberra bombers were available but more firepower was needed so its souls returned to the SAF forces 12 Squadron and what was known as Operation Vanity. Three SAF was Canberra. The Julie took off from Batokluff at 1815 hours on the 24th of February, crewed by Major Hunnus Becker and Lieutenant Rim Muton, Captain Rowley Jones, Lapis Lava Skachni and Lieutenant Wally Mare and Owen Doyle. They flew extremely low level at first heading towards the Victoria Falls but eventually the dark forced them to climb. When they arrived at the Falls the runway lights were turned on for a minute, allowing the Canberra's to land before being switched off. Blackout measures were in place and redigia was in the final months of its existence. Winner Yeh elections would be held and the country would revert to its shona name Zimbabwe which means venerated house. So back at Victoria Falls the two sets of crew were briefed by five Squadron Redigion Air Force Commander Chris Dixon about the bombing raid on the Zipra camp. camp near Lusso. The target was clearly military, no town was involved, a large camp outside Lusso, 600 nautical miles northwest of Victoria Falls. Living there, when estimated 3,000 zebra soldiers been trained by Cuban and East German advisors and accommodated in rows of flat-roofed bungalows with canvas science. Six of the canberas were armed with alpha bombs, rows round anti-personal devices used during operations of banner. One campber had carried 6,000 pound bombs with delay fuses. The other six had steel mesh baskets called hoppers filled with 50 alpha bombs each carrying 300 per aircraft. These were going to cause conage. At dawn on the 26th of February 1979, South African and Redezion crews walked out to do their pre-flight inspections under the command of squadron leader Chris Dixon. But the leader had a problem. His radio failed to work on starter, so the lead passed to flat lieutenant Fred Brent and his navigator Jim Russell. They were airborne at 600 hours 30 leaving Dixon behind and they spiraled up to flat level 390 or 39,000 feet to allow the string of canberas to join information. Two Redezion hunters struck aircraft armed with American sidewinder missiles were launched to provide top cover for the bombers and a command and control decoder was flown to monitor enemy radio. The formation rooted westwards from Victoria Falls then over Kazungula where they then turned north-west lead towards Mongolia. Dixon joined them then after he had fixed his problem with duct tape. It transpired. Then they continued north-west to intercept the Benguela railway line near the base outside Lucerne. Mongolia and traffic control demanded aircraft overflying Mongolia. Identify yourself. But the squadron ignored them. On board the navigators were using a technique called dead reckoning as the clouds obscured the ground. Then they began the descent through cloud and a 2,000 feet broke through but only for a moment. They were cleared down to 200 feet AGL when the navigators left their seats and clambered down into the glass and those. There they lay prone and read their maps directing the pilots to the target. They were slightly west of Lucerne but swung quickly back onto course and hit their initial point or IP. This was a prominent kink in the railway line when they swung eastwards towards their target. The Canberas split in two formations, a four ship and a three ship as Brigadier General Dick Lorde explains in his book from fledgling to eagle. They also flew straight into a powerful thunderstorm making it extremely difficult for the navigators to set up their sights for the bombing. Canberas have huge wings and this made the turbulence even worse like a backing bronco some said. The crews had to shatter each other the rain and hell was so noisy until Hunters Becker yelled the famous command "Freystart" which was to ensure final checks were complete. Then two minutes from the target they flew out of the storm. The noise suddenly ceased and now they were in clean air at 200 feet AGL and flying at 360 knots, 666 kilometers per hour. The devils number and the flying devils were going to decimate the camp. Did they hear the bungalows and no sign of anti-aircraft activity just yet? As the formation climbed from 200 to 300 AGL, bomb doors were opened which caused the Canberas to slow to 350 knots. They were now so low that one of the pilots saw a man emerge from the bungalow carrying a bucket, the man proceeded to drop the bucket and dive back into the bungalow as the alpha bombs were released. The aiming device and released for these bombs was a simple sight fitted in the nose of the Canberas. The navigator would patter or talk the pilot onto the target as it appeared in the clear vision panel. 1,800 alpha bombs were then scattered across an area of around 300 meters by 1000 meters and after bouncing once they rose to 3 meters in height then exploded flinging shrapnel hundreds of meters around. The Canberas didn't hang around, they cleared the target area immediately, forming in reverse with special cameras set up in each plane. They then climbed to flight level 410 or 41,000 feet. The four redision Canberas flew to Victoria Falls while the South Africans continued onto Filled which was a tactical airfield, 140 kilometers south-west of Solsbury. Those in the small town of Hartley nearby heard the SA Air Force bomb but it was out of the way and almost all thought nothing of it. The roles of firms were removed and developed and became clear that the strike had been successful. In one frame for example anti-aircraft gunners can be seen on a 14.5mm anti-aircraft gun shortly after its bomb could be seen landing in their midst all appeared to be killed. 1,800 alpha bombs had successfully been deployed as well as 5 out of 6,000 pound delayed fuse bombs. The sixth however had to be removed in a tricky process back in Victoria Falls it had failed to drop. Later the SA Air Force and Redision Air Force announced that 160 zippers soldiers had died in over 500 were wounded. This figure of course was immediately disputed by the Zimbabrian Independence Movement. Nevertheless, the crews congratulated themselves. But one crew in particular had no idea this would be their penultimate mission. On the 14th of March 1979 just three weeks after the Lusos struck, Wally Mare and Owen Doyle crashed after the Canberra was hit by enemy fire during Operation Rex Stalk in southern Angola. Another crew involved in Operation Vanity would die later in October 1979. Kevin Pien and JJ Stradum were shot down during a Redision Air Strike on AAA positions on the Zanella or Zimbabrian African National Liberation Army Base at Chamoders Circle in Mozambique. Just east of Mutari. Now we'll swing our attention back to South West Africa and Angola where SADF was gearing itself up for two more attacks across the border known as Rex Stock and Safran. The number of contacts and scumishes in Northern South West Africa had increased by 100% in the last 12 months and a response was required. So operations Rex Stock and Safran saw the first glimmerings of the SADF's new mobile warfare concept being tested in the field. As we heard from 61 Mech Commander Roland de Fries last episode, the idea was to use the concepts of localized command dispersed initiative and constant mobility backed up by extreme firepower. There was a weather challenge during February 1979 as I've said of Wombel and was in the grip of what we'll call the big rains and annual event but this year, better than usual. The Canberra pilots had already flown into the big rains as we've heard. Low clouds and heavy showers hampered air ops and the Shauners or depressions were full of water which covered around 70% of the normally arid sandy area. In his book at the front, SWA Commanding Officer Gen. Yani Heldn has explained how the SADF was trying to take the initiative by engaging the enemy in many small places at the same time. This was the core of the Rex Stock and Safran strategy, making Swapo abandoned bases and scattering them from Canani province to the west and Zambia in the east. It was during operations Safran though that a unique moment took place. An old grey-haired border official and a young teen working with him stopped an entire mechanised group from crossing a river because he demanded that they spray their bristling armoured vehicles with chemicals to stop the sleeping sickness. According to Commandant Andy Andrews, the combat team of Irland Armoured Cars and Buffles were hot on the heels of Swapo which had withdrawn into Zambia. They halted at the Zambizi river when the aforementioned elderly Zambian man dressed in a car key shirt and shorts and holding a clipboard stepped out into the road and ordered this battle-hardened group of South Africans to halt. As Andrews says, he seemed impervious to the fact that he and the little boy had brought a combat team of the SADF to a halt. The lieutenant in the forward Irland almost had a hot attack, he was so angry, but Andrews being more experienced took over negotiations. "Look here, I've got orders to take this turn of sailor and the ferry crossing and if you do not get out of the way, the armoured cars will drive over you. What town, what ferry?" asked the old man. "They both looked around. Nearby there were reads and a few huts. That apparently was the town of sailor. There was no ferry, just a small boat. Sometimes things on a map in Africa appear significant until you roll into town to find there is actually no town. This conglomeration of huts was indeed sailor." "Before you go anyway sir, I must insist on carrying out my duties. I shall now spray your vehicles." Set the old man, officiously. "But now the troops and the bifles realize that comedy drama was playing out and we're observing the theatre from their lofty height, smiling and shaking their heads." The old grey-head man proceeded to position himself in front of each armoured car, right down the registration number, then wave at his young assistant who leapt forward to spray the soldiers and their vehicles. What Andrews didn't realise is that they meant to spray the insides too. Along with the islands there were a few rifles and the youngster proceeded to spray these with gay abandon. Soon there were troops sneezing and coughing, some jumped out to try and recover on the side of the road at this small village called Cella. The Xambian hygiene duo of the Ingana pest control had done what Swapo and plan had not. The forced and entire S.A.D. of armoured group to a standstill and managed to temporarily put some troops out of action. legal, chemical attack, if you like. Then adding to the bizarre moments, the old man once again faced Andrews and asked, "What nationality are you, please?" You must have known because the officers and troops were speaking of her cons to each other and Zambians in that area had been exposed to the language. Andrews was somewhat aghast, his jaw dropped, and then the Zambian proceeded to say, "In any case, you're free of Angana and may proceed, but won't you join me for a cup of tea?" Comment on Andrews politely declined and the South Africans rolled through cellar, shaking their heads. As I've said before, African wars are unique. Because many South African troops had ties to the land as farmboys, they were aware of the dangers of titsy fly, malaria blhazia, and a myriad other tropical and subtropical afflictions. So they tolerated a few sprays to stop sleeping sickness. Then back to the main job of killing the enemy. No contradiction there at all. The modest operations began in a Wembeland and the Rex stock forces swept through a series of suspected swapper bases, Mongoa, Ang Kongkwa, Enhombé, Hekku, amongst others. While Safran began from the Caprivi and swept into southwestern Zambia, after gaining permission from the old man and his Angana sprays, of course. While another up achieved much success, several hastily evacuated plan bases were destroyed. But of course these could be re-built and stocked within weeks. So these two operations, using semi-conventional tactics, were really just a form of advanced maneuvers. "Practice, practice, practice," they say. With that, we'll halt and secure the perimeter. Please rate the podcast on iTunes if you can. If you want a chat, contact me through the website DesmondLatham.com or abywallpodcast.com or direct message me on Twitter @DesmondLatham. Until next, well, bye.